Exhaust muffler

Abstract

An exhaust muffler for an internal combustion engine including a housing having a sidewall, a first end plate and a second end plate spaced apart and located opposite the first end plate. A plurality of partitions may be disposed within the housing defining a plurality of chambers, including a resonator chamber, a cross-flow chamber, and an outlet chamber. An inlet pipe may be disposed through the housing into the resonator chamber and in fluid communication with the cross-flow chamber, the inlet pipe having a bend in the resonator chamber, wherein the inlet pipe is in fluid communication with the resonator chamber through a resonator aperture located in the bend. A resonator tube may be in fluid communication with the cross-flow chamber and the outlet chamber. An outlet pipe may be disposed through the housing and in fluid communication with the outlet chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An exhaust muffler for an internal combustion engine comprising:
 a housing having a sidewall, a first end plate and a second end plate spaced apart and located opposite the first end plate, the housing defining a housing axis; 
 a plurality of partitions disposed within the housing defining a plurality of chambers, including
 a first resonator chamber, 
 a second resonator chamber, 
 a cross-flow chamber, and 
 an outlet chamber; 
 
 an inlet pipe disposed through the housing into the first resonator chamber, the inlet pipe including
 a bend located within the first resonator chamber and defining a first inlet axis and a second inlet axis, and 
 an aperture located in the bend and being substantially coaxial with the first inlet axis, wherein the inlet pipe is in fluid communication with the first resonator chamber, and 
 a first diffuser located in the cross-flow chamber, the first diffuser including a plurality of first diffuser openings disposed in a first annular wall; 
 
 a resonator tube in fluid communication with the second resonator chamber, the cross-flow chamber, and the outlet chamber, the resonator tube including
 a second diffuser located in the cross-flow chamber, the second diffuser including a plurality of second diffuser openings disposed in a second annular wall, 
 a resonator port disposed within the second resonator chamber, and 
 a packed tube portion disposed within the outlet chamber; and 
 
 an outlet pipe disposed through the housing and in fluid communication with the outlet chamber. 
 
     
     
       2. The exhaust muffler of  claim 1  wherein the outlet portion of the cross-flow pipe comprises:
 an inner tube having a plurality of apertures disposed therein; 
 a solid outer tube; and 
 a fibrous material disposed between the inner tube and the outer tube. 
 
     
     
       3. The exhaust muffler of  claim 2  wherein the fibrous material disposed between the inner tube and the outer tube comprises a fiberglass. 
     
     
       4. The exhaust muffler of  claim 1  further comprising a port disposed in the outlet pipe configured to supply clean air into the outlet pipe. 
     
     
       5. The exhaust muffler of  claim 1 , wherein the aperture located in the bend of the inlet pipe has a diameter less than a diameter of the inlet pipe. 
     
     
       6. The exhaust muffler of  claim 5 , wherein the aperture has a diameter of about 0.5 to about 0.75 the diameter of the inlet pipe. 
     
     
       7. The exhaust muffler of  claim 4  wherein the outlet pipe further comprises a venturi portion connected to the clean air port configured to draw clean air into the outlet pipe. 
     
     
       8. The exhaust muffler of  claim 1  wherein the inlet pipe includes a bridge portion through the second resonator chamber, fluidly isolating the inlet pipe from the second resonator chamber. 
     
     
       9. An exhaust muffler for an internal combustion engine comprising:
 a housing having a sidewall, a first end plate and a second end plate spaced apart and located opposite the first end plate; 
 a plurality of partitions disposed within the housing defining a plurality of chambers, including a first resonator chamber, a cross-flow chamber, and an outlet chamber; 
 a second resonator chamber in fluid communication with the cross-flow chamber; 
 an inlet pipe disposed through the housing into the first resonator chamber and in fluid communication with the cross-flow chamber, the inlet pipe having a bend in the first resonator chamber, wherein the inlet pipe is in fluid communication with the first resonator chamber through a resonator aperture located in the bend; 
 a resonator tube in fluid communication with the cross-flow chamber and the outlet chamber; and 
 an outlet pipe disposed through the housing and in fluid communication with the outlet chamber. 
 
     
     
       10. The exhaust muffler of  claim 9  further comprising a first diffuser attached to the inlet pipe and disposed within the cross-flow chamber, the first diffuser including a plurality of first diffuser openings disposed in a first annular wall. 
     
     
       11. The exhaust muffler of  claim 10  further comprising a second diffuser attached to the resonator tube and disposed within the cross-flow chamber, the second diffuser including a plurality of second diffuser openings disposed in a second annular wall. 
     
     
       12. The exhaust muffler of  claim 9  wherein a portion of the resonator tube comprises:
 an inner tube having a plurality of apertures disposed therein; 
 a solid outer tube; and 
 a fibrous material disposed between the inner tube and the outer tube. 
 
     
     
       13. The exhaust muffler of  claim 12  wherein the fibrous material disposed between the inner tube and the outer tube comprises a fiberglass. 
     
     
       14. The exhaust muffler of  claim 9  further comprising a conduit disposed in the outlet pipe configured to supply clean air into the outlet pipe. 
     
     
       15. The exhaust muffler of  claim 9 , wherein the aperture located in the bend of the inlet pipe has a diameter less than a diameter of the inlet pipe. 
     
     
       16. The exhaust muffler of  claim 15 , wherein the aperture has a diameter of about 0.5 to about 0.75 the diameter of the inlet pipe. 
     
     
       17. The exhaust muffler of  claim 14  wherein the outlet pipe further comprises a venturi portion connected to the conduit configured to draw clean air into the outlet pipe. 
     
     
       18. The exhaust muffler of  claim 9  wherein the inlet pipe includes a bridge portion through the second resonator chamber, fluidly isolating the inlet pipe from the second resonator chamber.